ECP be empowered to ensure fair polls: Politicians

ISLAMABAD - Supporting the electoral reforms, politicians on Sunday said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should be empowered to ensure free, fair, transparent and flwaless elections in the country.The purview of election tribunals must be defined clearly, they said while talking to this news agency.They said the beauty of parliamentary system was to decide the issues within the democratic framework, and the parliament was the right forum to bring the changes in the electoral laws, making them more acceptable to the stakeholders and ensure the transparency in the election process.PPP leader Zamurrad Khan said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)fully supported the electoral reforms to make elections more transparent, flawless and free from influence.ECP does not have proper facilities. In rural areas the situation for election commission is even more pathetic - there are no buildings the polling is often held in insecure buildings. In far flung areas there is no security of election staff, he added.Zamurrad Khan, who also a former managing director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, said there was no harm in holding recounting of votes.Senator Saeed Ghani of PPP said in the reforms, the role of Election Commission should be clearly defined and election tribunals must be bound to dispose off election related petitions within a prescribed timeframe.Exetending full support to electoral reforms, he said the party had already made a lot of sacrifices for strengthening democracy in the country and it would continue to do so in future.He said the prosperity and progress of the country was in promoting democracy and democratic culture and all institutions should work within their domains.No one would be allowed to make the parliament hostage and impose his agenda by holding rallies and staging sit-ins, he added.Saeed Ghani said a committee was constituted during the PPP government for reforms, but unfortunately it was not allowed to work.Senator Zahid Khan of Awami National Party said election reforms could not be enforced by holding protests on roads. The ANP supported election reforms.Dozens of ANP workers became victims of terrorism, he added.He said despite having reservations regarding last elections, the ANP had accepted the results as it believed that the country's prosperity was in promotion of democracy"We must maintain unity among our ranks and keeping in view the country's prevalent situation there is no justification to hold protest rallies and long marches. Let the issues be taken up in the parliament, which is the right forum for the purpose," he added.Zahid Khan said democracy should continue in the country and the ANP would not allow its derailment."Reforms should be introduced for making the electoral process transparent. In the 33-member parliamentary committee, the ANP will give positive suggestions for making the system transparent and authentic," he added.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 21-Jul-2014 here.